The Way of the Soul-Mancer
by xavierroxas73
Summary: Kabuto's potential had been cut short, and what we knew was that he desired to know himself. With a set of ideas in mind, and tactics borderline genius in simplicity, the Shinobi World will be turned on it's head... possibly more then once. Time-Travel is a possibility, and Kabuto may/may not be considered God-like. Mikoto/Kabuto, and maybe others if I get around to it.
1. Chapter 1

The Way of the Soul-mancer

Summary: Kabuto was always under-estimated. He was deemed a pointless person, a husk of potential unrealized. He'd show them all how wrong they were. With the knowledge of the intricate bloodlines, and careful cultivation, he'd show them the potential they would only dream of. Kabuto is a dark-grey character in this story, and expect Time Travel. Maybe a crossover at some point, but that remains undecided.

Chapter One: Potential Unrealized? Hardly.

Kabuto was annoyed. With Naruto having released Itachi from his bounds using Shisui's remaining eye, he knew they'd approach him. Luckily, he held a backup plan. He wasn't absurd enough to believe that he could face the Sharingan alone, even with the many upgrades he'd gained as a newly awakened Sage. He held several back up plans, one of which was ingenious.

'The Edo Tensei was upgraded to sustain itself beyond the death of its summoner, but even I cannot control entire armies of undead soldiers without brain damage... which is why my idea was brilliant.' He'd used the power of Edo Tensei to revive some no-name weak Konoha Shinobi. With him under his control, he had the Edo Tensei, ironically, use the Edo Tensei no Jutsu to revive his entire army. With the endless supply of undead chakra fueling the jutsu, Kabuto himself was unharmed, and could manipulate the entire army through the nameless shinobi.

'Even if I was to be placed under a Genjutsu, I'd only release the original Edo Tensei Jutsu, leaving the rest untouched from the release.' It was so simple, but it was brilliant that way.

Let it never be said that Kabuto didn't do things to his advantage either. With careful precision, he'd held the Edo Tensei'd original Shinobi under a powerful Genjutsu of his own, and had himself revived with Edo Tensei as well. Within mere moments of him killing himself, he'd been revived and was now able to wield endless chakra himself. Hell, he'd even upgraded himself beyond his former body, by mixing his DNA with Senju and Uchiha DNA. The result was glorious. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, granted through careful manipulation and cloning of Madara's own chakra and blood, was also able to summon forth the Rinnegan as well. Since they were implants, even if he revived himself through Gedo: Rinnie Tensi No Jutsu, they'd still be in his head for use.

Now, he waited calmly. His control tag may have been nullified, but he could still see through Itachi's eyes to know that both Uchiha brothers were coming for him. 'They're in for a rude awakening.' His newly developed eyes came with many abilities, and Kabuto's regeneration was already powerful as is: It'd been further enhanced with the endless amount of chakra given to him. On the off-chance he felt overwhelmed, and if he was trapped in a genjutsu like Izanagi/Izanami if they did so as a last resort, he had a card as back up.

In the back of the cave, lay a coffin. The words imprinted on the coffin were 'Mikoto of the Shunshin'. With the same upgrades as Kabuto had given himself, she'd be unstoppable. It helped he'd implanted that as a final measure Genjutsu into the Edo Tensei nameless shinobi to do if he should be dispelled.

Sure enough, the cave wall exploded, revealing Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. Kabuto grinned darkly, pushing his glasses up to show a lens flare. "Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. The two final brothers of the Uchiha, teamed up at last... to kill little old me? I'm flattered. However... You'll find me far harder to kill." Kabuto removed his glasses, which held a small Fuinjutsu bound Genjutsu on the rim.

Itachi felt uneasy. This chakra... His eyes widened in horror as Kabuto opened his eyes to reveal the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. "Sasuke..." Itachi muttered slowly. "This may be too difficult, even with our visual prowess." He never expected Kabuto to awaken an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, to say anything of Madara's own chakra in his system. Sasuke chuckled darkly in response. "You pathetic ninja, Kabuto. You stole from the Uchiha yet again. I'll kill you!"

Sasuke ran forward at him, his Susano'o flaring into existence to throw a hyper-punch at him before Kabuto should've been able to react. 'Foolish Sasuke-chan. The Uchiha originally stole many jutsu. I just returned the favor.' The grin never left Kabuto's face, even as the eyes shifted into the Rinnegan and he absorbed the chakra formed Susano'o fist.

Sasuke snarled wordlessly. Many of his jutsu needed chakra as a basis, and Kabuto's new Doujutsu absorbed chakra like he breathed air. Itachi frowned, now annoyed. 'What is it with supposedly legendary un-attainable Doujutsu showing up in the wrong people? Now Izanami is useless against Kabuto. I'll just have to seal him away with the blade of Totsuka and hope to return to save the rest.' Itachi called forth his ultimate Susano'o, readying his sword and shield.

Sasuke jumped back, joining Itachi as he too formed his ultimate Susano'o.

Kabuto stood there, crossing his arms, fairly annoyed. 'Does Itachi expect me to oh-so-obviously strike forward or something and get impaled by an eternal illusion blade?' He frowned, before smirking. Scales erupted around his flesh, as a purple ink colored his eyelids and surrounding skin. Four horns, two on either side, formed out of his head. Itachi chuckled darkly. "Die, like the snake you are Kabuto."

The sword swung forward incredibly quickly, but Kabuto grabbed it with his hands on either side of the blade, inhaling its chakra. The blade vanished, only to reform out of Itachi's chakra again at the waist of the Susano'o.

Kabuto smirked, his Rinnegan flaring slightly. "Snake? Humph. After careful study and training with the Snake Sage, I have evolved beyond the snake. I am now... a Dragon." Kabuto spread his arms wide, grinning madly. The Rinnegan flared brightly, as the Eternal Mangekyo's design formed from behind it in a dark purple color. Kabuto's own Susano'o sprang forth, the torso of a man being joined with four arms, plus the neck and head of a giant dragon. The color of the Susano'o was dark yellow in color, flickers of orange at the edges.

Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan was detecting something disturbing. His visual prowess was incredible with Edo Tensei active, but the string connecting him to Kabuto wasn't chakra formed at all. 'What's going on? I'm completely certain it was Kabuto who revived us, but why isn't it showing on my Mangekyo?' Ignoring that difficult thought, Itachi's eyes narrowed as he studied the man's Susano'o. 'For only just possessing the Eternal Mangekyo, Kabuto has been remarkable to be able to summon Susano'o at all, let alone this merged, altered, evolved form. Disturbingly, his prowess with the Mangekyo is as high, if not slightly higher, then my own. The only thing is... How was he able to merge the activation of the Eternal Mangekyo and the Rinnegan altogether?'

Kabuto smirked, as he made a single hand seal. The Dragon's Head opened, revealing a single glowing orb. 'Yin-Yang Release: Orb of Judgement Jutsu!' The orb glowed, before releasing hundreds of senbon filled with micro-Paper Bombs.

Itachi raised his shield of Yami, standing in front of Sasuke's Susano'o. To his dismay, the senbon seemed to flicker right through the shield, and then bounced off of the Susano'o's inner chakra coating. Then, the senbon glowed. Itachi's eyes widened, before he whispered softly. "Izanagi..."

The cave erupted in a blast of pure energy, creating a pillar of light that ripped through the cave ceiling and into the sky. Kabuto remained unaffected, smirking. The light faded to reveal Itachi, panting lightly on one knee as one of his eyes turned a flat white.

Kabuto nodded to himself. 'I was correct. The Mangekyo requires both eyes to access the Susano'o without becoming chakra-intensive and damaging. Even Itachi's Ultimate Susano'o requires both eyes in any regard.' Sasuke roared in rage, through four sets of spiraling black fire filled orbs. Kabuto chuckled lightly, his Rinnegan flaring as his Dragon head's mouth remained open, the orb turning a light green.

The black orbs of death were inhaled into the mouth, absorbed into the orb. Kabuto smirked, before he made the same hand seal as before.

The orb glowed, and more of the senbon shot forward, hundreds of glimmering needles flying through the air. Itachi's remaining eye widened, before it closed. 'Forgive me, Sasuke... Konoha.'

Sasuke was prepared to die and join the rest of the Uchiha. Instead, Itachi appeared inside his own Susano'o, before kicking him straight out of the cave itself into the nearby forest. He stared in horror as the same white light pillar appeared, before vanishing to reveal Kabuto's Susano'o standing in front of Itachi. Itachi turned toward Sasuke, revealing his blind flat white eyes. "ITACHI!"

Kabuto chuckled darkly, as his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan noted Itachi covered in glowing green chakra. 'His Edo Tensei is slowly regenerating his eyes, but the Izanagi is inhibiting that regeneration for more than enough time. I'm rather surprised at how intelligent Itachi was to push Sasuke out of the way. My Yin-Yang release can only be blocked by those using the inverted version of Yang-Yin release. Good. Itachi will be under my control without his Sharingan inhibiting my next Jutsu. Now to begin my back up plan.'

Kabuto made seven hand seals, before stopping on a hand seal that had his two hands clamped together. The Rinnegan flared. "Gedo: Rinnie Tensi No Jutsu."

A single needle of green chakra flung itself from Kabuto's Dragon Orb. It impaled Itachi in the chest, as the green chakra covered Itachi entirely. Itachi muttered weakly. "No... Damn you, Kabuto." Kabuto smirked, before a Chidori blade tried to attack him from behind. The chakra was absorbed by the green chakra field he'd had surrounding his body. He turned to see Sasuke snarling as his chakra attack was nullified again. "Sasuke... How I hate you, for what you did to Orochimaru. For what you inevitably did to everyone. Most of all, I hate you because you threw away everything for a petty ideal beyond your understanding. Such an absurd concept, to love what you betrayed, to act so irrationally... Perhaps you are like Naruto more than I thought. Going to use the 'Talk No Jutsu' on me?"

Sasuke snarled, his chakra calling forth natural lightning from above himself. Kabuto merely shook his head, chuckling. "Fool. Kirin doesn't work against Susano'o, and your attacks are petty at best. No, no. Let me direct you on how to use Nature." Kabuto breathed in deeply, his scaly skin glinting against the lightning above. "Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation."

Originally, the Jutsu would have only revived the ground and surrounding rock into Kabuto's command. With a gaping hole leading to the sky and surrounding air however, Kabuto's jutsu extended to the very storm clouds above as well.

The world exploded violently, the lightning flaring around into a tornado shape, striking into a single pin-prick, while the surrounding Earth held Sasuke unable to move, his very chakra sapped away through his Rinnegan.

When it ended, Kabuto held Itachi by the throat, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan staring into Itachi's blind ones. "Sasuke is dead, killed by his arrogance. But you shall not join him. No, no. Your knowledge shall be quite useful, especially in chakra usage. I've improved myself drastically, but I had back up plans that you never thought about. I am an Edo Tensei as well, Itachi, and I am bound to the one who serves me."

Itachi's blind eyes widened in that regard as he whispered hoarsely. "You! You revived a nameless shinobi weak of will, and then had him use Edo Tensei to revive your army through him! That's how you were able to revive so many, and many with strong will! Then, implanting a Genjutsu as an order implanted through the Edo Tensei tag, you killed yourself to be revived immediately after the fact as an Edo Tensei, an Edo Tensei under the control of the nameless shinobi who's an eternal Edo Tensei under you! Why... How'd I miss something so simple?!"

Kabuto shook his head, smirking. "Cause you, like everyone else, were plagued by the fact that I was controlling your actions directly. You were too concerned by the one obviously playing puppeteer, that the obvious puppeteer was beyond your reach was beyond your understanding. You under-estimated that in my research, I would've imbued myself with the same powers I found desirable to keep. That was your downfall, and will be the downfall of Madara Uchiha and the rest of Akatsuki. While I don't mind the perfection of the Eternal Tusykiome... I can't allow myself under the rule of another when I've yet to discover myself first. Be grateful that I will save the world, even if not the way you envisioned it to be saved. Goodbye Itachi. Ningendo."

Itachi's body fell to the ground, the chakra sapped empty with the soul removed. 'I know so much from you now, and the chakra I've gained from you is impressive enough.' Kabuto didn't need to worry when the Jutsu Orochimaru made allowed him to keep the chakra elements of those bodies he'd taken, even when switching to other bodies. 'It's why he desired the Sharingan. A single body would have allowed him to keep the Sharingan forever. Luckily, I've succeeded for him.'

The empty cave was silent, but Kabuto raised his left arm upwards to his chest. The ground trembled, and opened, revealing Sasuke barely alive, his chakra nearly gone. Kabuto chuckled darkly, as he grabbed Sasuke's head. "Goodbye Sasuke. Ningendo." With Sasuke's soul gone, Kabuto bound the six Zetsu clones in the natural rock reanimation, before he sapped the other five of their chakra. The sixth he painfully ripped apart and absorbed into his own flesh.

'With Hashirama's very cells implanted in me with his very chakra, I'm far more powerful than even with the few cells I imbued myself with!' Kabuto chuckled darkly, waving his right hand outwardly. His Susano'o was re-absorbed into himself, and a coffin zoomed until it halted right in front of him. 'It seems I had no need with this one, but why not? I can add one more as my guardian.'

In a cave far away, a cave near the land of Wave in fact, a nameless shinobi of Konoha opened their eyes. His eyes were pitch black, and cracked in a way that showed the Edo Tensei was active but clearly not all there. The man muttered flatly, blankly. "Edo Tensei No Jutsu." After the Jutsu was cast, the man fell back down, as if asleep.

The coffin opened to reveal Mikoto Uchiha. Her black hair was now slightly silver from Kabuto's mixed DNA. Her eyes were the Eternal Mangekyo as well. She struggled against the Edo Tensei initially, but Kabuto just activated the third portion of the tag that redirected any other emotion besides loyalty away from the body. The mind was still an organ after all, and organs could be manipulated under the right conditions. Her face slackened, before she nodded in determination, her eyes glowing ominously.

Kabuto watched amused at how weak the five current great Kage were against Madara Uchiha. 'How interesting. However, I'm sure Madara's just playing along for now. His immense chakra and his sheer will would easily over power my own... If I hadn't already imbued myself with a vast amount of power equal to his own. Combined with the knowledge I know, and well, it's just too easy to make them play each other into my hands. Much like every other fool, brute power is not enough: You must be cunning enough to direct it as you will it so. Now then, whom to revive or kill? Mikoto is far stronger, and with her own set of Mangekyo abilities to boot. Heh. Shisui's beyond my grasp now, thanks to Itachi. However... Yes, the Four great Kage would be enough to control through an Edo Tensei link connector. With the knowledge I have though, they are sealed behind the Shinigami's stomach. Beyond my reach.'

"Mikoto Uchiha. Your ability over the Shunshin was legendary to be on par with even the powerful Hirashin no Jutsu, and was limited only that it was chakra intensive. Your Mangekyo abilities are even faster, designed to enhance your ability and idea that speed is above all. You can alter the very fabric of reality with your Mangekyo ability known as Guardian Law Jutsu, which acts like Izanagi for about ten minutes before your Mangekyo locks out for twenty minutes, and your second ability allowing you to freeze others perception of time for up to an entire hour on a single target. Being a specially designed Edo Tensei has only further these abilities ten-fold. Go forth, and kill Tobi. From there, I will revive him as well. Afterwards, give me the five current Kage. When the time comes, we shall deal with Madara."

Mikoto nodded, before she blurred out of existence. Kabuto nodded to himself, his eyes closing as he focused through Madara's and Mikoto's perspective eyes.

Madara was currently monologueing on how stupid and weak everyone was, while Mikoto was currently honing in on Tobi's chakra.

Obito Uchiha was not happy. Not that he was really ever happy then, but he was severely unhappy. Kabuto's Edo Tensei were being sealed left and right, and it didn't help that the majority of his Zetsu were being killed off by Naruto fucking Uzumaki, a happy go lucky idiot that he himself used to be like. Something was nudging at the edge of his mind though, and it bothered him... What was i- OH SHIT!

Obito activated his Rinnegan and repelled the moving dark missile that was a woman in her thirties shooting at him at speeds clocking at around 300 m/hr. She flew back at his huge burst of chakra, before halting herself in mid-air. She drifted down gently, and her hair settled in their usual design. Obito trembled in shock, horror... and a little fear. Back when Obito was around seven years old, he'd had a nightmare of a cousin named Mikoto Uchiha. She was absolute evil in his eyes then, and the fact that she was an Edo Tensei with a single eye that was an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and another eye that was a Rinnegan, standing before him with the urge to kill... Well, he was quite happy he had a Mangekyo like 'Kamui'.

She glared at him, her eyes glowing. She didn't need to be controlled against the prick, which you'd find odd... unless you were in her position. When you suddenly find yourself alive again, and with all these new powers to fight against the one that manipulated her son to kill her family, clan, and you got the choice to kill him? You took that chance with both hands barred, no question. The fact that she thought Kabuto was cute, even if a little too pale for her liking, had nothing to do with it... Well, maybe a little.

"You dare fight against me, Madara Uchiha? Even as an Edo Tensei? How... pathetic." She growled darkly, her eyes glowing brighter.

"Cut the crap, Obito-chan. As if I wouldn't know the taste of your chakra anywhere... Well, aside from chakra that's similar to Hashirama-sama's own. Have you been perving on really old dead men? Never took you for a necrophile." She smirked.

Obito saw red. 'WTF?! I... I don't even... I'm still a fuckin' virgin! And you?! FUCK YOU!' He made a flurry of hand seals, before he blew an entire blaze of fire at the bitch, who just absorbed it all.

She sighed lightly. "You're an idiot to use a Jutsu against me at all, Obito. Is it my turn now? Good. Watch and learn how to really fight, you sucky faggot." (Kabuto sweat-dropped. 'I think she took a couple of Hidan's insults. I think he's swearing, and still alive, so how'd she learn them?')

She blurred, her eyes flaring. Obito couldn't even keep up with the woman, his Rinnegan still untrained. She blurred, attacking with the use of her far superior Shunshin Jutsu. Obito's Kamui was also useless, as the Rinnegan countered any Jutsu nearby, thanks to Mikoto mastering hers with the knowledge implanted.

When it was over, Obito found himself facing irony, and a lot of it at that. He was now chakra-less, being held up by his throat by Mikoto Uchiha in a very similar way to how he held Konan. 'Whelp, the saying's true: Karma's a bitch.' Mikoto smirked evilly. "Oh, Obito-chan. I'm not going to kill you. No, no, that would be too-" She tightened her grip on his neck, causing him to gasp out for the little air he could breathe.

"-Kind of me to do. No. I think it's best you take a taste of my Mangekyo Sharingan Technique: Guardian Law Jutsu. A silly name really, but a good one for it's my Guardian. With it, I'll place you under a Genjutsu Reality not unlike Tusykiome. Except... I will break your mind instead. I will force upon you thousands of lifetimes, fill you with more memories of fear, hatred, despair, and agonies to the point where your mind will slowly... crack and breaks like an egg." She giggled, her eyes glowing brightly, a blood red that promised pain. "Then, then you have my permission to die."

Obito's remaining eye widened, as the Eternal Mangekyo flared, and with his Rinnegan ripped from his head and crushed beforehand, the agony of the jutsu began its work.

Kabuto was surprised to see Obito alive and on the ground, Mikoto waiting calmly against the nearby cave wall. "He's gone. His mind was crushed under an endless weight of undying lifetimes of torture crushed into a single five second period." He nodded in affirmation, before he quickly slit the young Uchiha's throat. He ripped the Mangekyo Sharingan out, and implanted it into himself, where it merged with the current chakra elements, giving him Kamui to add to his list of powers. "Good work, Mikoto. Now then, once I revive him, we'll continue as planned."

After grabbing a nearby Kumo shinobi from their post, he warped back over to the cave and used Edo Tensei on Obito. With the young Uchiha revived, he told Mikoto to re-write his entire subconscious before he revived him completely with his Gedo: Rinnie Tensi no Jutsu. After doing so, Obito swirled away none the wiser, his mind having been ripped apart and remolded to fit Kabuto's Will.

Madara and Obito Uchiha stood on the precipice of plans that had been decades in the making. They stood under the rough form of the Juubi, whom they were barely able to control, even with their combined formidable will power. Naruto was currently trying to use his infamous 'Talk No Jutsu' and the rest of the Shinobi Alliance was now shrouded in Kyubbi's Chakra Cloak.

This was the scene that many would have witnessed for over an hour as Madara and Obito tried to handle the Juubi's immense power and will. Instead, a different scene happened. Obito's eyes blanked out briefly, before he made a sudden move of hand signs and muttered. "Gedo: Rinnie Tensi No Jutsu!"

The King of Hell formed, and shot a single green needle out into the air. Madara grinned, as he couldn't wait to feel alive again. Granted, he hadn't expected Obito to have enough will power to use such a concentrative Jutsu while controlling the Juubi, but such things did happen for the better. Madara sighed, as the green chakra covered his form. His soul had been stabilized into his body... Wait! When fully revived, his Rinnegan would fade! Madara cursed, as his eyes vanished entirely. Madara shunshined away, apart from the Juubi.

The Juubi roared in triumph, as Obito shouted in pain as he was overwhelmed. Obito exploded, as the chakra nature of the Juubi ripped apart the Uchiha from the inside in a gory scene, leaving a red mist of blood.

Madara cursed, now blind at the wrong moment. Then, a wave of chakra burst against him, and he was choking, gasping for air. His very chakra was suddenly siphoned away entirely, and he was held still by an incredible pressure from all sides. Then, a snake-like voice echoed close to his right ear.

"Well, well... Uchiha Madara. How the mighty have fallen. Without your eyes, your control over the Juubi is nothing once more. Luckily, my associate, the recently made Edo Tensei'd Mikoto Uchiha has a handle on the situation with her 'Guardian Law' Mangekyo Technique to enforce her will upon reality. As for me, well, I'm sure my voice tips me off."

He growled, darkly. "Kabuto Yakushi. You bastard." The snake-like voice chuckled darkly.

"You're one to talk, Uchiha-chan. With all your chakra syphoned away, and with my own medical technique cutting off your spinal cord from the third Vertebrae, you can only breathe and talk, but not move a single muscle. Ah, the wonders of medical science. The rest of the Shinobi Alliance is held under my associate's Jutsu as well, so they shouldn't move for a good hour or two under her vastly increased powers. More than enough time to deal with you, the Uzumaki brat, and any other major issue beforehand. Heh. In a war, it's not the one that's the strongest who wins: It's the one who comes out the most intact at the end. Enough chitchat, however. With your chakra gone, your... soul will be quite delicious in information, I'm sure. Ningendo."

Madara's body fell to the ground with a dull thud, as Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose again with his other hand. Mikoto was the one holding him by the throat, which let go and dispelled herself, being a Kage Bunshin. 'Such vast knowledge on Jutsu and combat. A worthy goal, to absorb and release you, Madara.'

Mikoto clenched her teeth together, her powerful Mangekyo technique holding an entire Army for even seconds took a huge toll on her eyes, even in Edo Tensei. It eased quickly when Kabuto asserted himself through her link, adding his sheer will and knowledge into the mix. The will power and knowledge that Kabuto now held was more than enough to ease the strain on her eyes and brain, and she sighed in relief. "Thank you, Kabuto. Please, kill the Kyubbi brat. Holding both him and the Kyubbi is by far the most taxing. He's an idiot, but a strong-willed idiot."

Kabuto chuckled, but nodded. He ran forward, placing a hand on Naruto's stomach and head. Normally, absorbing even half a Bijuu would kill him if unprepared, but acting as a conduit to the Juubi would be child's play as an Edo Tensei. "Preta Path. Ningendo."

Simultaneously, all the Kyubbi chakra vanished from the army, Kurama vanished, and the mass of chakra was pumped into the Juubi directly. Naruto's soul was removed the body, not knowing it's final moments was a genjutsu.

The body collapsed, but Kabuto swirled into Kamui for study. The Uzumaki were known for vitality, and his chakra was so filled with energy that Kabuto felt he had to stop for a moment to collect himself calmly. He sped forward, using Kamui to flit through shinobi. He quickly killed and gathered select shinobi for study. They'd be highly useful, the Hyugga girl especially. He gathered the ones he considered taking, and then he returned back to the front of the army, where he summoned forth his Susano'o.

To be a bit over-the-top, Kabuto made his Susano'o split at the neck, creating seven long necks attaching to a giant Dragon Head. 'How fitting, that the Hydra be your undoing, ninja. Yin-Yang Release: Orb of Judgement Jutsu.'

The seven heads open wide, revealing seven orbs of pure white energy. Thousands upon thousands of needles showered the entire Army, before they all detonated in a single vast pillar of light.

Mikoto nearly creamed herself. While most of her negative emotions were filtered out of her system, she still felt lust and passion. She had a big turn on for powerful jutsu, especially destructive ninjutsu. She grinned widely, shivering lightly in a mix of awe and lust. Kabuto just destroyed the vast majority of the army, with none of the stragglers being above Jonin level. An army of thousands, reduced to a mere three hundred strong. What made her feel even more lust, was that she knew her own jutsu were available to Kabuto now, with her own chakra circulating his system after a quick syphon. 'My very essence is circulating throughout such a strong man.' She shivered again, licking her lips hungrily.

Kabuto shivered lightly. He didn't know why, but he felt he'd made a monster somewhere. 'Not my problem... Hopefully.' With the vast majority dead, and the Juubi now taking it's time to fully evolve itself. Kabuto appeared next to Mikoto, grabbing the tendril once connected to Obito Uchiha's skull. A quick 'squelch' sound, and it was connected at the wrist. Kabuto's eyes narrowed at how vast the chakra was, and at the sheer power of the Juubi. To say nothing of its will.

Of course, Mikoto's Doujutsu was more than enough to contain it, being a single-person fueled Eternal Tusykiome in its own right. Kabuto nodded to himself. 'At least for now. If I'm correct, the Juubi's power should quadruple at the very least when it achieves its ultimate form. At that point, I will need to intervene to seal the Juubi into myself, and then use Gedo: Rinnie Tensi upon myself to contain its power from snapping my seal tag that ties me to the world.'

Sure enough, the stragglers of the army awake from their genjutsu as Mikoto focused her entire mental strength on subduing the Juubi. The Juubi shifted, changing into a giant tree, with a large pink, pulsing flower at the top. Kabuto smirked, his lens flaring as he pushed it up his nose. 'So, Madara was correct. The flower will bloom, and with it, will cast Eternal Tusykiome upon the world... Not that I will allow that.'

Kabuto made a series of hand seals, focusing on a particular Jutsu he had in mind. 'Rinnegan-Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan Technique: The Seven Hundred Paths of Reincarnation Fuinjutsu!'

Kabuto's eyes flared as the might of nigh-infinite chakra given by the Edo Tensei was brought to form. Kabuto's chakra, being the color of Kurama's, extended into every single Edo Tensei that was sealed by the Shinobi Alliance.

Across the Elemental Countries, the sealed forms of the Edo Tensei flared, the seals glowing brightly. Gaara's Pyramid Fuinjutsu especially glowed a pale white as its immense power was brought to its limits.

Within the ground, deep within, the entire network of Zetsu that had been halted mid-production by Madara's now-gone will glowed brightly as their chakra was sapped and used as conduit for what was the largest Fuinjutsu matrix ever created.

Kabuto smirked, as the entire fully formed Juubi was ultimately ripped apart, its chakra and body split into hundreds of slivers across the world. Mikoto had long since stopped concentrating on her Genjutsu, in awe at Kabuto's master stroke. Kabuto explained quietly to her. "I knew of the Edo Tensei's weakness of Fuinjutsu. I wanted to use that weakness to my advantage. Why waste all of my concentration subduing the Ultimate Bijuu, when I can use my control over Edo Tensei to forcefully tear it apart into the sealed forms of the Edo Tensei for me to assimilate into myself? It was my ultimate plan: Let them waste away their army trying to seal away as many Edo Tensei as possible, strong willed Edo Tensei at that, and then use that very will to my desire to subjugate the Juubi under my rule. No human wishes to fade away, so their will to live will always be beyond the Juubi to control, especially after cutting it into slivers the strength of an average Chunin."

The remains of the Army heard every word, and they felt violated. The entire thing, the entire war, they had been played upon like pawns.

Kabuto smirked to himself. His plan was working. By slowly assimilating the Juubi to his will, he would be able to reverse the very essence the Rikudo Sennin had created: The consciousness of every Bijuu, and from there, the consciousness of the Juubi itself. Now, it would only take a matter of time, roughly a couple of months if he was correct.

He turned to the remains of the army, smirking coldly at them all. He rose into the air, his Rinnegan-Eternal Mangekyo combo merging to allow him to alter his would-be Susano'o into the complete form of a Dragon, with the body of a man stretching its arms wide. "Hear me, Alliance. Know this: I only spare you out of my whim. Should I have willed it; I could have cast Eternal Tusykiome upon the world and be done with it. I did not. I now offer you a choice, surrender the entire Elemental Countries under my ultimate authority within the next two months, or I shall obliterate you all myself. This is my only offer.

You took everything from me: my home village, my mother, and finally my identity. I have every right to strip you of your thoughts, but I shall not. Whether you keep your lives, is up to you."

Kabuto smirked, as his eyes flared brightly. The Dragon roared in triumph, it's heavy chakra exploding outward in a blaze of pure white energy. In the middle of the light pillar, Kabuto gathered Mikoto, and cast Kamui upon themselves.

End Chapter One.

A/N: What do you think? Review... Or don't. I just love this concept so I'll be writing it eventually. However, some feedback would be appreciative.


	2. Chapter 2

The Way of the Soul-Mancer

Chapter Two: The Unpredictable Variable

Mikoto frowned as she looked at Kabuto's form. She had initially been surprised by how spacious Kamui was, but had long since bored of the endless realm of boxes. Kabuto on the other hand, had been very busy. His forceful control over the Juubi had unpredicted results: The chakra had to transfer over the gap of an entire dimension in order to enter Kabuto's body.

As such, Kabuto often had to focus as he forced chunks of the Juubi's now-consciousness-less chakra into his body. Each time eventually forcing his body to reanimate itself in order to contain the bursts of energy. They couldn't leave either, because opening a direct gate between Kamui and the Shinobi World would force vast chunks into his body all at once, and he didn't want to risk the Juubi finding a way to destroy himself from within.

Kabuto wasn't idle, however. He'd practiced utilizing technique after technique, slowly pooling his energy into connecting the vast memories into his mind permanently. Even Nagato was fairly limited to the knowledge he could memorize at any single given time he absorbed through Ningendo, often times removing large portions of lifetimes he could considered unnecessary to keep.

Kabuto, however, was a perfectionist, and demanded nothing less than to absorb entire vast lifetimes with ease. Luckily, time distorted differently in Kamui then it did in the Shinobi World. Ignoring Kabuto's vast explanations of scientific talk of black holes and gravity and time warpy-stuff, Mikoto kept it to the bare minimum explanation of 'Kamui's Time is much slower right now.'

Of course, she'd occasionally utilize Guardian Law Jutsu in order to allow much more time for Kabuto to connect everything together. Madara's mind, in particular, was quite difficult to unravel, considering the man suffered from Advanced-Psychosis-Chakra-Mutation.

"APCM," Kabuto explained calmly, "is a very rare disorder often found only in those whose minds have been drenched in vast quantities of not just their own chakra, but the chakra of others as well. Those who suffered from this disorder, are often times those who dare to try and extract chakra-based abilities from the body of others into themselves."

"Each form is slightly different among the individual: Kakashi's is found in his tardiness, and Madara's is found in his need to control the world. I'm very much willing to bet that Madara tried to absorb some of Hashirama's blood or something in their previous battlefields before they even formed Konoha."

Mikoto looked highly disturbed at this information, so Kabuto reassured her. "That's why I made sure to fill my body with Orochimaru's cells. Orochimaru delved into the process of hybridization of cells and chakra, and found a latent enzyme in a man known as Juugo."

"The enzyme, known as H4N3T7, is unique because it does more than just increase the absorption of chakra from nature. It literally devours and reconstructs a person's body into a hybridization of its two different bases. That's why Orochimaru never feared those effects when transferring bodies: The enzyme would quickly destroy and rebuild his entire tissues in minutes, stopping the process from harming him. I now carry and make that enzyme naturally. That's why I'll never fear the Juubi taking my body for its own: Stripping its consciousness protects my mind from Juugo's psychosis, and the enzyme melds my body permanently to the Juubi's chakra."

Mikoto's eyes widened in awe. Kabuto chuckled, nodding in affirmation. "Yes, right in one. I'm usurping the Juubi. I'll be the first half-human, half-Juubi in existence. In short, Immortality and Power, bundled in a nice little package that allows me to resist the Fuinjutsu and Doujutsu designed to stop me. Mixing the endless chakra supply of the dead into the re-absorption process speeds up this process by a thousand fold."

The rest of the time there was spent in near-silence, with Mikoto occasionally asking questions about her son's lives. Kabuto, already holding the memories of Itachi, answered where he could.

Mikoto looked like a bitter mix between rage and sorrow. Her sons had been brainwashed by both sides, something she came to understand with a taste of copper in her mouth. Itachi had been brainwashed by Konoha, and Sasuke by the Uchiha Clan's arrogant adults. They had never lived their own lives, only the lives of marionettes.

Kabuto reassured her quietly, that in the end, at least Itachi felt some form of retribution for the Uchiha Clan, by saving Sasuke, in his own misguided way. He wanted to show his repentance, by way of letting Sasuke get his vengeance. He'd hoped, Kabuto said quietly, that it would quench Sasuke's thirst of blood, that he would become a man that you'd be proud of.

That, Mikoto thought sadly, was more painful than anything she'd heard. That her sons had been manipulated with her approval and love, being twisted in mindset beyond recognition because of her trying to help them stay as a family, hurt her more than anything else.

She couldn't feel anger toward Kabuto. Could've been the seal, but Mikoto reasoned to herself that Kabuto was simply being honest and forthright to her, something she couldn't even say her family had been. It did make her feel a little better that Kabuto did admit quietly that she reminded him of his adopted mother back at the orphanage. Strong, caring, loving, and absolutely beautiful.

Eventually, not sure how much time really had passed; she thought with amusement, Kabuto had sat next to her. His body was no longer rippling from the immense chakra being absorbed, and that his body had gained a pale glow that made his already pale skin glisten, as if the moon flickered over his body at every angle. (She did have to stop herself from licking her lips right in front of him, as she could feel the immense power hiding behind the skin.)

Kabuto's eyes opened slowly, as his eyes flickered to reveal the Rinnegan with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan behind it with a dark purple design. The Rinnegan's normal color of metallic purple turned blood crimson however, with the dark purple design of the Eternal Mangekyo shifting into the metallic purple.

He stood up carefully, as he grabbed Mikoto's shoulder with his left hand. His right flickered briefly, a pitch black staff with a circle on one end. The circle gained rings looping it.

"We must depart. Their two months has ended."

Kabuto's left eye glowed ominously, as they sucked away from Kamui.

Kabuto blinked when he found himself in front of an old man bearing the Rinnegan, and the same staff as the one he was currently utilizing.

The old man stood up slowly, his monk robes shifting slowly. "Kabuto Yakushi. You, I did not expect. However, I can feel Kurama and the rest within your body. What do you intend to do? Revive the Juubi and watch as my mother Kaguya destroys the world?"

Kabuto frowned when he realized Mikoto wasn't next to him. 'A meeting of minds then.' "I have no intention of reviving the Juubi. In fact, I'm fused permanently with it, becoming the next Juubi, and the first half-human, half-Juubi."

The old man blinked, his eyes narrowing. "Impossible. The personalities of the nine I crafted will never obey you without force."

Kabuto blinked. 'He's the Rikudo Sennin? I expected... more.' "My apologies, but those personalities have been extinguished, along with the Juubi."

Rikudo frowned heavily, his eyes glinting with cold fury and horror. "You killed my children for power. I'm afraid this ends here. I will not, cannot, allow you to enter the mortal realm. Your very presence would call forth my mother."

The old man moved remarkably fast, swinging his staff to unleash hundreds of blades of many sizes, each glowing brightly.

They vanished, flickering away. The Rikudo blinked, shock in his eyes. Kabuto blinked, his smile framed in an animalistic manner.

"I'm half-Juubi. Jutsu of any kind will not function, Rikudo. Of course, this is my turn. JuinJutsu: Seal of the Ten-Thousand Year Void."

Kabuto's eyes glowed brightly, his own staff slamming into the ground; unleashing hundreds of thousands of pitch black snakes. Like an ocean tidal wave, they flung themselves toward the Rikudo Sennin.

The old man snarled, his Rinnegan glowing brightly. He raised his staff, roaring mentally like a shock wave of its own.

"YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!" He slammed the staff into the ground.

The snakes were blasted back by an entire wave of pure kinetic energy, crushing them all into powder. Kabuto flicked his hand outward, creating an inversed shock wave. The two cancelled each other, leaving Kabuto's hair slowly drifting in the gentle breeze.

Kabuto's eyes widened when the Rikudo wasn't there. A burning sensation from behind forced Kabuto to scream in agony.

The Rikudo Sennin was trying to seal him away into himself, and succeeded. Kabuto was swallowed up by the immense darkness of the Eternal Time Seal Gate.

The Rikudo sighed quietly, aching. His staff had barely survived the usage of that strike. He sat down, calming himself down. Kabuto would never escape his prison.

Still, a stray thought nudged the Rikudo's mind. 'Half-Juubi, he said? Half-what else? Gah!' Pain echoed throughout his mind.

Dark red blood pooled from the Rikudo's stomach, as did gushes of black ink from the seal's unraveling. Kabuto reformed behind the Rikudo, grinning madly. 'Now, I hold a small portion of the Sage's chakra himself. Now, to finish the job.'

The Rikudo's eyes widened in shock and horror, as he felt Kabuto's scaly hands grip his skull. The last word the Rikudo Sennin ever heard. "Ningendo."

The old man in front of him faded away, revealing a small black orb in its place. Kabuto chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the vast unending life of the Rikudo Sennin. After a couple of minutes, Kabuto grinned as he'd just absorbed an entire lifetime of memories of the first Shinobi.

He quickly slashed his staff, which had reformed in his other hand, through the black orb, muttering. "Fuinjutsu: Eternal Space-Time Grounds: Release."

The orb glowed brightly, turning deep green. The area blurred away, turning pitch black as time and space reconnected themselves.

Mikoto jerked back in surprise when Kabuto's Kamui finished to reveal Kabuto, only his chakra was much stronger and much more concentrated then before when they'd left Kamui. Kabuto grinned at her and relayed what had occurred.

Mikoto looked confused, before saying. "Why didn't the Fuinjutsu work on you?" Kabuto smirked, pushing his glasses to his nose, making the lens flare brightly.

"I'm only Half-Juubi. The Fuinjutsu he used upon me was designed to hold an endless void of chakra and physical constructs. It was never designed to seal a Jinchurriki. Add in the fact that my enzymes merged the seal's construction chakra into my flesh, and it would never have worked anyway: The Rikudo's chakra doesn't fight against itself, and as I am a very small portion of it, I would remain unharmed. The important part is that now my mastery of Doujutsu and Chakra itself is complete."

Kabuto warped them to the Five Kage Summit in Iron. Masking themselves under the power of the Juubi's connection to nature, Kabuto and Mikoto quickly became invisible, scentless, and would see through the earth as they traveled to the meeting place.

The five great Kage, barely healed to their conditions before the war, were busy discussing what to do.

Gaara, whose arms remained crossed, said darkly. "This is the TML, my fellow Kage. Complaining and rebuilding aside, we don't have the resources to fight a highly evolved Juubutomaru. We all know the seals of the Edo Tensei have stopped glowing some time ago, indicating his merge with the Juubi is complete."

Tsunade, actually looking her own age for once, stated in return. "It doesn't matter. Kabuto would be exactly like living under Orochimaru, only an Orochimaru that is immortal and possesses many abilities Orochimaru would never develop. We must fight him; at the least seal him away. We still possess the weapons of the Sage, why don't we use them?"

The Raikage snorted in dismissal. "It wouldn't work. Those things use far more chakra then even five Jonin together could wield effectively."

The Tsuchikage, now Onoki's grand-daughter, frowned. "We must find something. Our very existence and lives are at stake here. There must be something."

Mei, looking tired, stated flatly. "What do you think we should do? Can do, for that matter? We have nothing. Unless you're suggesting something we haven't already debated about, and then please speak up on it already."

Tsunade said quietly. "I do have one thing that might work, but it's very slim, and would be extremely risky at best."

The Raikage laughed. "Risky is better than nothing, Hokage."

The rest nodded in agreement.

Tsunade smirked quietly, as she took out a mask. She mumbled a prayer or two, and smiled darkly. She placed it on herself.

Kabuto's eyes widened when a figure above Tsunade revealed to be the Shinigami. 'That's the infamous Shinigami mask! She had it the entire time!'

Tsunade sliced her stomach open with one hand, and began a fast series of hand seals with the other. The Shinigami's blade mimicked the movement, and four glowing blue orbs formed.

Four sets of smoke appeared, indicating one of her subordinates had called forth four summons. Each summon revealed a bound and gagged Zetsu. The final one handed seal was formed, and the four orbs flew into the bodies.

Dust and cracks formed along the bodies, unveiling the four Hokages of the previous Village Eras. Tsunade coughed and hacked, the mask cracking and breaking into dust by her hand on it. She smiled at her grandfather, who looked shocked and upset as she fell to the ground, dead from the two simultaneous Kinjutsu.

Kabuto's eyes widened, before he smirked in acknowledgement. Yes, the four great Kage may have been a threat, but they were only a minor nuisance now. 'Mikoto... Ensnare the Four Kage in your Guardian Law Jutsu. I only need a second.'

The pulse of chakra from Mikoto indicated the jutsu was in effect. Kabuto smirked, his eyes glinting from within the walls of the summit. 'Time for some new information.'

The remaining Kage shouted in alarm and horror, as Kabuto formed from behind the four Kage. Three snakes shed themselves from his unmoving right arm, which attached themselves around the necks of the first, second, and third Hokage. Kabuto said slowly, darkly. "Ningendo."

The snakes twitched heavily, as the blue orbs were sucked into the snake's bodies. A flick of wind chakra and the snakes were detached from the arm. The snake's fell to the ground, curling into an orb that turned deep purple. The three bodies turned into dust, signifying the jutsu being dismissed. Kabuto already had his left arm on the small of the fourth Kage's back, saying calmly.

"Preta Path."

A huge suction formed around Kabuto, sucking in all the chakra around his form, and concentrating through his hand into the Kage's own sealed stomach. A dark-red substance flooded out of it, and into his hand. Soon, the red liquid stopped flowing, and Kabuto's smirk widened.

The other Kage hadn't been able to do more than twitch and squirm in terror. Not for any lack of trying, but they were bound by Kabuto's staff connecting their shadows to it, where it was impaled to the ground, motionless.

Kabuto's eyes widened in shock as the fourth Hokage vanished, re-appearing right behind him.

"I don't know whom you are, to be capable of extracting the Yin half of the Kyubbi from me, but I'm afraid your grab for power stops here. Shiki Fuinjutsu."

Kabuto smirked darkly, as after a full second of nothing happening, Minato muttered to himself. "What's going on?"

Kabuto replied calmly. "The Shinigami can't seal what it already considers its own. I'm an Edo Tensei, thus making me already the Shinigami's property."

Minato scowled deeply, teleporting to the far side of the room. He waited, thinking Kabuto would do something. Kabuto chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting.

"Foolish Kage, I already have what I desire. Still, you are a nuisance. Mangekyo: Amaterasu no Kamui."

Minato jumped into the air, dodging the spiraling black flames surrounding a black hole. 'Mangekyo? He holds those accursed eyes?!'

Kabuto smirked, twitching his fingers to fire random abilities. He only needed a single instant to entrap Minato to his Ningendo. Unfortunately, the accursed Hirashin was as dangerous as proposed, especially as he could use his own chakra as a marker to dodge instantaneous attacks.

Minato finally slipped up, teleporting away from a blast of his Yin-Yang needles. He appeared close enough for Kabuto's next move. A twitch from his other hand, and the staff stretched a fifth shadow, wrapping itself around Minato's own.

Minato scowled, finding himself unable to move. What was going on? It wasn't a Kinjutsu, as an Edo Tensei would reform.

Kabuto extended a snake, coiling it around Minato's throat. "Goodbye, Minato. Ningendo."

Minato snarled, utilizing his last resort jutsu. 'Hirashin: Marker Transversion Jutsu.'

It was his final resort because Minato was utilizing a very dangerous risk. A Hirashin Marker could only be activated once, and the user had to wait until he reached the destination before utilizing another marker. The risk of even attempting it was deadly, as you'd essentially be opening several paths for molecules to follow, leading to a very, very gory scene for anyone unfortunate enough to even try. Minato was trying to activate every marker, all simultaneously.

Kabuto was surprised as his staff vibrated violently before exploding into smoke, and was disturbed as the snake twitched violently, before Kabuto felt the jerking sensation of being pulled into many, many different directions. Minato smirked coldly at Kabuto, before his body burst into dust. As the memories of the infamous Yellow Flash went through Kabuto's mind, Kabuto's face paled.

The pulling sensation was tugging stronger, and stronger. Kabuto knew it was only because of being half-Juubi that it had sustained its form for so long. He only had enough time for one Jutsu.

A twitch of a finger, as an orb formed in front of Kabuto, this one looking deep green. Quickly, snakes extended out of Kabuto's back, grabbing the three purple orbs that held the minds of the previous three Hokages and devouring them. They vanished quickly, as Kabuto felt the tugging reach a painful level.

"Fuinjutsu: Eternal Space-Time Grounds Jutsu."

Pouring as much chakra into it as Kabuto could, Kabuto grunted as the tugging exploded out of proportion, as he was torn apart. The four Kage witnessed the body explode violently into dust and chakra, which then also exploded with the force of four simultaneous hydrogen bombs.

In a small village, with an orphanage that didn't receive much funding, a small boy named Kabuto gasped in shock as he woke up.

End Chapter

A/N: My apologies for the extreme lateness. Life hit hard with exams and such, and I really wanted to get as high a score as possible. SAT studying is a bitch. Still, it's no excuse, and I apologize for it. Hopefully this chapter is satisfactory.

By the way, should I extend this into other worlds and crossovers eventually? I have a couple of ideas but none of them concrete. Plus, I'm curious to your opinions. Oh, by the way:

I never did introduce Black Zetsu or Kaguya did I? Just a little foreshadowing. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

The Way of the Soul-Mancer

Chapter Three: Back to step one… with some bonuses for good luck

Kabuto couldn't help staring at his face in the small, cracked, dusty mirror in the corner of his room. It technically wasn't even a mirror; just a really dusty, old, piece of glass that he had found at the edge of his room.

He was young, incredibly young. He'd somehow jumped back through time itself, no doubt through the merged reactions of the two jutsu that had done the deed. His 'Fuinjutsu: Eternal Space-Time Grounds Jutsu' was a realm that existed outside of time itself, hence its name.

Minato's failsafe was his 'Hirashin: Marker Transversion Jutsu', a Jutsu that activated all markers simultaneously, forcibly splitting the enemy into many splintered bits and pieces the size of atoms and molecules.

Both combined together twisted the two jutsu into a single morphed entity that forced Kabuto's soul to jump back through time. In fact, Kabuto wagered that if it hadn't been for his unique biology as a half-Juubi entity, he would not have survived the process.

Truly, the Fourth Hokage had been a prodigy of Fuinjutsu, on a level equal to that of the Uzumaki at their prime, which was understandable given his wife had been an Uzumaki herself.

He stared at the mirror, looking at his extremely young, yet still very pale, complexion. Kabuto wondered if he could still access the many abilities he held back when he had become his primal state.

He searched within himself, finding his young pool of chakra, although he noted that he could feel that the chakra pool was a mosh-pit of the chakra he'd gathered in his prime.

'Interesting. My enzymes seemed to have still functioned enough to merge my state permanently, transferring over to my young form. While I doubt I can access the full sets of abilities, as I need to train enough to regrow my chakra pool to their previous limits, I can still access the abilities themselves. Excellent.'

First thing on the list was to utilize his Yin-Yang release to recreate his many bloodline-based abilities. While his enzymes were able to drag over his chakra natures, it wasn't able to change the body of his younger form. That was an irritating point, since Yin-Yang released used a lot of chakra.

Still, it wasn't as if he didn't have time on his side now. Kabuto nodded to himself, his eyes flickering slightly in the dim light.

Still, it was rather quiet, a rarity since the orphanage was often filled with noise, which told him that it was probably night time. What year and day was it, he wondered briefly, before heading outside of his room.

He heard adult voices whispering, and his eyes narrowed as he crept through the hallway that lined up next to the kitchen where the voices were.

He stiffened when he noted the chakra signatures of Danzo, Orochimaru, and his Root all threatening his mother… again.

He cursed mentally. He thought he had more time! With more time, he could've stopped this from happening. Now, he was just as powerless as before, unable to utilize the abilities he had that could've stopped everything!

The same thing repeated in front of him again, unable to do anything as Danzo collected Nono Yakushi into his services. Falling into step as he had in his previous life, Kabuto also volunteered himself as a replacement for Danzo's ninja.

Kabuto refused to look Nono in the eye. He couldn't believe this was happening again. However, that didn't mean he had to accept the ultimate outcome. His eyes flared silently as he began to slowly plan how to stop his mother's death in the eventual future.

Kabuto and Nono were quietly removed from the village that very night, as they traveled back to Konoha.

Nono remained quiet, as had Kabuto. The Root was not ones for idle chatter, and neither was Danzo Shimomura. Orochimaru himself had quietly drifted out of the way until he had slipped off to another lab hidden within Konoha's borders. Orochimaru had yet to be caught, after all.

Soon, they went inside one of the many entrances of Root. Nono was given her mission scroll, and told her that there would be consequences to the orphanage should she betray them. Nono nodded firmly and turned to leave. She very briefly stopped to look at Kabuto's eyes, her own eyes trying to warn him of the dangers within Danzo's organization.

Kabuto heeded the warning, his own eyes showing understanding. She relaxed slightly before departing away toward Iwagakure.

He turned back toward Danzo, his eyes shifting to show determination. Danzo's face and eye remained emotionless as he addressed Kabuto.

"You shall head to Kumogakure, and shall become a Genin. There you shall remain to gather Intel for the Root Organization. Betray Root, and your mother dies. Dismissed."

Kabuto's face remained determined as he left, leaving the Root Organization behind him.

His eyes narrowed as he picked up the signature of Root following him. 'They must want to make sure I don't go to the Hokage to usurp their position. Smart.'

He easily traveled down the roads until he reached the edge of the Land of Fire. The Root shinobi were still lingering, no doubt ensuring that he would be picked up by a caravan to be taken to Kumogakure as another orphan subscripted to Kumo's shinobi forces.

He quietly slipped into the caravan that was passing by, his face easily shifting into 'orphan, parent's dead, take me to a safe place to grow up please' mode. The caravan bought it easily, knowing the conflicts between the villages were growing and that usually meant a rise in orphans just before and during a war.

Kabuto's face relaxed slightly when he felt the two Root shinobi leave back toward Konoha.

His eyes burned with determination as he swore to himself.

'I swear to you, mom, I will save you from your eventual death.'

It would be a long ten years till then, but Kabuto would need all the time he could to regain his former strength as he spied on the Five Great Villages.

End Chapter

A/N: Short, I know. This was more of a filler chapter, to take place before the eventual meeting between Nono and Kabuto himself in ten long years' time. My question to you guys is if you want Kabuto to succeed and save Nono, or fail, perhaps due to a Danzo failsafe, and head with Orochimaru again. Let me know in your reviews please.


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